The former politician got caught up in a firefight, while hanging out with Kurdish Peshmerga.

CANBERRA – Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has issued a blistering rebuke to a former ministerial colleague for travelling to war-torn Iraqi Kurdistan and getting caught up in a firefight against Islamic State fighters.

Former federal assistant minister Wyatt Roy, who lost his federal Queensland seat at the election, has been in Iraqi Kurdistan, a region he has had a long standing interest in, spending time with Kurdish Peshmerga "who are facing off pure evil with incredible resolve."

In a phone call with The Huffington Post Australia, Roy insisted he did not travel in a "declared area" which would have led to criminal prosecution on terrorism charges on his return to Australia.

The former politician has indicated he would like a change in Australia's policy for Kurdistan.

"It is unique that we are a very significant military contributor to this region, but we don't have an official diplomatic presence here. We have a diplomatic presence in Baghdad but not in Erbil," he said.

"There are like 27 countries that have an official diplomatic presence in Erbil and Australia is not one of them."

He said Kurdistan is a region he has had a long standing interest in and he has been calling for an increase in the number of refugees from that area.

"It is something very close to my heart and something I have spoken about. Something I have been criticised for," he said.

"I thought it was important that I had a look at the situation here. As a politician, I would not have been able to make this trip," he said.

"You would have been in the bubble of political meetings."

Roy said he had been spending time with Peshmerga "who are facing off pure evil with incredible resolve."

DFAT Iraq Travel Advisory

We strongly advise you not to travel to Iraq because of the extremely volatile and dangerous security situation. Australians in Iraq, including in Iraqi Kurdistan, should depart immediately.

Armed opposition groups are active in many parts of Iraq, including in Iraqi Kurdistan. The situation could deteriorate further with little warning. The US-led coalition, including Australia, continues to conduct targeted airstrikes against militants in Iraq.

With the current conflict, there is an increased threat to foreigners throughout Iraq, particularly journalists and humanitarian workers.

Due to the challenging security environment, the embassy's ability to provide consular assistance to Australians is extremely limited.